Translated by Eszter Tarsoly

Eszter Tarsoly’s commentary on co-writing of this text: This short piece had a long gestation. It was particularly difficult to decide what could be shared with our readership. One of Elisabeth’s daughters who was present when we wrote the text together was asked by her mother of her opinion about this. She had us delete almost everything. Then Elisabeth’s other daughter came home and, quite the opposite, she said we should publish every detail. The text that follows is the compromise between their standpoints. The last paragraph was written, in part, with AI. The children helped Elisabeth to use it. Elisabeth said that she found the last sentence online but she thought it felt true to what she believed.

Presence and attention are the foundations of responsibility. I talk to my children, I regularly ask them how they are, and I listen. There are situations when some other kids do not leave the others alone. Online, too. For example, they make a fake Facebook account and they put their photo next to something ugly. There are people who are all right but regardless of these exceptions, there are many who are jealous when they see that my girls are on Tik-Tok. They are just little girls. Let them enjoy Tik-Tok. They are such cheerful little girls when they get back home from school, they discuss things with me, what happened at school and how. And then she tells me: “look what they put on Facebook about me” So I tell her: “ignore them because they are just trying wind you up” and I tell her not to write back to them. She feels safe. If they tell her something, she becomes easily upset. I am her strength.

Our own life is responsibility, too. Many people get this wrong. Conflicts in families are inevitable. Try to talk about the problems calmly, specifically, and talk in a way that allows you to improve, too. A stable person is able to give more to their family.